Displacement in Liberia on the rise again as fighting spreads

(New York: 29 July 2003) - With the capture of Buchanan, Liberia's second-largest city, by rebel forces, thousands more Liberians have been displaced. Since fighting between government forces and Movement for Democracy in Liberia (MODEL) rebels intensified around Buchanan late last week, some 9,000 people have fled into that city, adding to an existing caseload of about 6,000 internally displaced persons. The UN has received reports that over 50,000 persons including IDPs, a number of whom fled recent fighting in Monrovia, are moving towards Harbel around the Roberts International Airport, some 50 km east of Monrovia.
Recent fighting on the capital's outskirts has caused displacement as well. The UN has received reports that thousands of people are fleeing the war in Gardnersville, some 20 km east of Monrovia, and heading towards Paynesville, roughly 30 km southeast of the capital. Centres for the internally displaced in this region are already overcrowded with influxes of displaced persons from the recent fighting.

Yesterday, within Monrovia, mortar shells landed on a church in the city centre and killed three persons instantly and wounded over 40 others. The Red Cross branch in the slum area of west Point reports having recorded about 133 persons wounded and 49 deaths, mostly of civilians, as a result of recent barrage of shelling in the area.

Fighting in Monrovia overwhelms health facilities, with nearly all energy devoted to treating the wounded. Sanitation remains a major problem in camps for the displaced, making conducive conditions for the spread of cholera. Aid agencies are concerned about a drop in the number of reported cases of cholera, considering that the disease should be in its peak season. Merlin Aid Agency, an international NGO reports that a public health expert would be carrying out an assessment to determine the reasons for the decline in the number of reported cases. Medecins Sans Frontiers, another international NGO on the ground noted that prior to the recent fighting in Monrovia, most of the reported cases were from Clara Town and D-Tweh high, all currently under LURD control, and that JFK Hospital has only a few cases. MSF is looking into reopening a cholera unit within the city, security conditions allowing.

The prices of basic commodities continue to rise in one of the world's poorest countries. Rice is sold at LD60.00 for 5 grams compared to prewar price of LD 10.00 for the same quantity. A 50 kg bag of rice is currently sold at US $50.00 compared to prewar price of US $20.00. Gasoline if found is sold at LD1,000.00, a gallon an equivalent of US$14.00. Hunger stricken residents of Monrovia queued in front of a bread shop in central Monrovia yesterday to buy bread. Many were turned away when supplies ran out.